MBA Programs Are Looking for Confident, Diverse Candidates

As an MBA candidate, you are acutely aware you will face stiff competition when you apply to a program. Perhaps the competitive element both drives and worries you at the same time. Since you have chosen a risky venture, it makes sense to feel a mixture of emotions, as well as having a blend of intellectual concerns.

Allay your concerns by making sure you are fully prepared at each point in the application and interviewing process. Whatever curve balls the admissions committee may have in store for you, be ready to adjust your swing. Keep your application at the top of the pile and ready for action with the following tips:

Be Informed, Be Confident and Be Yourself

You won’t last long in business management if you are missing any of these key ingredients. The committee reviewing your application will be on the lookout for self-possessed MBA candidates who can think on their feet, noted Bloomberg Businessweek. Take all the information and knowledge you have accumulated over the years and think about real-life applications for your academic background. Be ready to express those ideas clearly, concisely and with self-assurance.

Don’t Disregard the Power of Your GPA

MBA admission committees will use your undergrad grades in their decision to accept your application. Many schools have GPA requirements for candidates. Alliant International University requires a 3.0 minimum, while other top schools are surprisingly lax on the subject. For instance, Harvard Business School states it does not have an official minimum GPA policy. Be prepared to honestly answer questions about classes that might have diminished your overall GPA and to discuss why any blemishes on your record will not affect your commitment to your MBA studies. Drive home the point that you are fully prepared to meet every challenge in your business management program.

Use Social Media to Your Advantage

Keep your social media pages in pristine condition in case anyone from your admissions committee decides to Google you. Treat your social media presence as your professional introduction to prospective business schools and employers, not as platforms to while away downtime. As a rule of thumb, don’t post anything on your social media page that you wouldn’t want to discuss in a face-to-face interview.

Focus on Diversity

MBA committees look for candidates who are versatile and able to adapt to any situation, working with people of different ethnic, racial, religious beliefs with tact, respect and poise, according to Business Insider. American Progress goes on to note that 85 percent of 321 global corporations agree that diversity fosters creativity in the workplace. Prove to the interviewing MBA committee that you are dynamic and that you thrive on diversity. Share your experiences with volunteering, community involvement and travel. If you have been involved with relief efforts, tutoring to help people overcome literacy, working as an ESL tutor or anything that shows you have a global and cooperative perspective of the world, share these and future plans with your MBA committee.

Riding the next wave of business administrators is largely about adapting to all types of change, whether technological, interpersonal or whatever else that next wave has in store.

About the author:Jason Tootle

Jason studied business at a prestigious school in the U.K. before returning to the U.S. to start a mobile tech company. He loves to write about business, the economy and tech trends.

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